Maintenance Controller

SF Partners; Coventry; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Company benefits package

Ongoing training and development

Supportive team environment

Opportunities for career progression

Job summary

SF Partners is seeking an experienced Maintenance Controller to join our Service Centre team in Coventry. The role focuses on managing maintenance costs, negotiating with suppliers, and returning commercial vehicles to service quickly while delivering excellent customer service.

You'll review vehicle history, monitor downtime, and drive cost savings with strong supplier relationships. A background in HGV/LGV maintenance is essential for success in this busy environment.

Qualifications

• Experience in maintaining heavy goods vehicles (HGV/LGV) and ensuring high repair standards.
• Strong cost-control experience, able to review invoices and assess value.
• Proven ability to negotiate with suppliers and manage budgets.
• Familiarity with fleet management processes and industry regulations.

Responsibilities

• Authorise maintenance and repair work while ensuring best value.
• Review vehicle history, warranty and claims to maximise savings.
• Monitor downtime and meet customer KPIs.
• Negotiate with suppliers for cost-effective repairs.
• Source parts to speed up repairs and maintain relationships with suppliers.
• Track maintenance spend vs budgets and identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Support Service Centre colleagues and contribute to improvements.
• Make decisions in a fast-paced operational environment.

Skills

HGV/LGV maintenance

Supplier negotiations

Cost control

Fleet management

Excel

Communication

Problem solving

Tools

Audatex

M3

Job description

We’re looking for an experienced Maintenance Controller to join our Service Centre team. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with a strong HGV/LGV maintenance background who enjoys working in a fast-paced environment, negotiating with suppliers, and ensuring customers receive exceptional service.

As a Maintenance Controller, you'll play a key role in managing vehicle maintenance and repair costs while ensuring commercial vehicles are returned to service as quickly and efficiently as possible. Working closely with customers, suppliers, and internal teams, you'll help minimise vehicle downtime, control maintenance expenditure, and deliver industry-leading service.

What You'll Be Doing

• Authorise maintenance and repair work while ensuring repairs are completed to the highest quality and best value.
• Review vehicle history, warranty, goodwill and policy claims before approving repairs to maximise cost savings.
• Monitor Vehicle Off Road (VOR) cases, proactively reducing downtime and meeting agreed customer KPIs.
• Challenge repair costs in line with supplier agreements and national parts contracts.
• Negotiate with suppliers to achieve the most cost-effective repair solutions.
• Source new and used parts where appropriate to speed up repairs.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with suppliers, customers and internal stakeholders.
• Investigate rechargeable repairs, obtain supporting evidence, and ensure costs are correctly recorded.
• Monitor maintenance spend against budgets and identify opportunities for cost avoidance.
• Track maintenance trends, warranty recoveries, component failures and supplier performance.
• Support colleagues across the Service Centre as required and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives.
• We’re looking for someone who is commercially aware, customer focused and confident making decisions in a busy operational environment.

You’ll ideally have:

• Previous experience as an HGV/LGV Technician, Workshop Controller or within a Maintenance Control environment.
• Extensive knowledge of HGV/LGV maintenance standards, repair methods and industry legislation.
• Strong understanding of repair times, labour rates and parts pricing.
• Experience managing maintenance costs within fleet, rental, contract hire or commercial vehicle environments.
• Excellent negotiation and communication skills with the confidence to challenge suppliers where appropriate.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise multiple tasks.
• Good IT skills, including Microsoft Excel, with experience producing performance reports.
• The ability to work independently, solve problems and see tasks through to completion.
• A flexible, proactive approach with a commitment to delivering excellent customer service.

Desirable (but not essential):

• Knowledge of Audatex.
• Experience of body shop repair processes.
• Experience using M3 or similar fleet management systems.

You’ll become part of a professional and supportive team where your expertise will make a real difference to our customers and business performance.

We offer:

• Competitive salary
• Company benefits package
• Ongoing training and development
• Supportive team environment
• Opportunities for career progression